Almanacs predict snowy N.E. winter
But, Old Farmer’s says, not that cold
Good to see the farmers’ almanacs are on the same page.
The Old Farmer’s Almanac is predicting a snowy winter, matching a forecast from its rival publication, Farmers’ Almanac, that called for the “Return of the Brrr.”
(In case you weren’t aware, there are two farmers’ almanacs in New England, and although they sound very much alike, they are different publications. The older of the two is The Old Farmer’s Almanac, which is based in Dublin, N.H., and dates back to 1792. The Farmers’ Almanac, based in Lewiston, Maine, was founded in 1818.)
So get your snow shovel ready. That’s the key takeaway from the extended forecast in the Farmers’ Almanac and the latest edition of The Old Farmer’s Almanac, which came out Aug. 29.
“Get prepared for oodles of fluffy white throughout the season!” The Old Farmer’s Almanac’s forecast states. “Keep a shovel at the ready early, especially in the Northeast and Midwest, where snow will arrive beginning in November with storms, showers, and flurries continuing through the start of spring.”
In Eastern Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and most of Connecticut, winter precipitation and snowfall will be above normal — 2 to 3 inches above monthly averages — with the snowiest periods coming at the end of December, late January, and mid-February, the Old Farmer’s Almanac predicts. But forecasters “don’t expect a white Christmas” in those areas, the almanac said.
In the rest of New England, precipitation and snowfall will also be above normal, with the snowiest stretches occurring in mid-to-late November, mid-December, and early to mid-January.
“There will be a white Christmas in the mountains, but it’s less likely in the foothills and along I-95,” the forecast states.
The Old Farmer’s Almanac’s forecast also calls for above-normal winter temperatures in New England, while other snowprone areas of the country will see colder-than-normal temperatures.
“Only snowy New England and the Atlantic Corridor will enjoy winter temperatures which are milder than what’s typical for their regions,” the forecast states.